


The Girl with the Weight of the World

by NyxEtoile, OlivesAwl



Series: Tales From the Tower: The Next Generation [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universes, Asexual Relationship, Other, Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-10 21:32:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16462709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NyxEtoile/pseuds/NyxEtoile, https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlivesAwl/pseuds/OlivesAwl
Summary: Vision studied her. “Are you holding that shape to appear more. . .acceptable to humans?”She glanced down at herself. “I suppose. I didn’t consciously choose it, but it is convenient.” She looked up at smiled at him. “I don’t know what else I would look like, I suppose I’m not very imaginative.”“My color scheme was an accident. I can change it if I need to, but I like it.”“It’s very pretty,” she told him earnestly. “I like purple.”He grinned back at her. “I like blue.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Parts of this overlap with Nate and Eshe's story, so I needed to start getting it up. Hope you enjoy Vision and Singularity. This story will deal with events from Thor Ragnarok.

Finding the Tower was usually easy. It was where she always started.

Sometimes the Tower wasn’t there. Sometimes it was just Stark Tower and there was no team. Sometimes it had been destroyed and she had to ask around to find out what happened. She didn’t like those universes. There was usually a lot of screaming in those universes.

So it was somewhat reassuring to see the Tower standing proudly with that familiar A on the side of it.

The lady behind the desk was scared of her, but didn’t scream. She even answered all her questions. Singularity was sad that none of her friends were on the team, but she was relieved to see Lani and Sam. Lani wasn’t in very many universes but the ones she was in tended to be happy ones.

They offered her a job pretty much on the spot.

She followed them to the elevator with the big A on it and asked FRIDAY - who was apparently their AI - to give her access.

There was a little tingle that probably meant she was being scanned, then a voice with a pretty accent asked, “Apologies, Ms Singularity, but. . . what _are_ you?”

“I am a sentient quantum singularity,” she informed the ceiling.

“You’re a black hole?” Sam asked.

“If that makes it easier to understand, then yes. Black holes are a kind of singularity, but not the only kind.”

“Don’t black holes suck everything in?”

“They do. The ones in space, anyway. I’m not quite like that, obviously. But I am, in that I’m something infinite contained in a finite space.”

“Sounds like that thing in Vision’s forehead,” Sam said.

She tilted her head in confusion, looking up at him. “Vision?”

“He’s a. . .sentient android, with a mystical stone of untold power in his forehead.” Sam tapped the middle of his own. “You’ll probably get along.”

“Huh.” She had heard about android team members in other universes, but hadn’t met any of them. And none of them had mystical stones. “I can’t wait to meet him. It’s been a long time since I met someone new.”

The elevator doors opened into the penthouse, which looked remarkably similar across many universes. There was a purple-skinned man on the other side, seeming startled the doors had opened. A yellow stone glowed in his forhead. This, she imagined, was Vision. Then JARVIS’s voice came out of his mouth. “FRIDAY said you wanted me down in the lobby.”

“Yeah, we decided to bring her to you instead.” Lani gestured. “This is Singularity. She says she is a sentient quantum singularity. She’s come from another universe looking for versions of her old friends.” Suddenly, she turned and looked at Singularity. “I’m sorry, is ‘she’ okay? Your voice is feminine but I should know better than to assume.”

“Female pronouns are fine.”

“You evoke the view from the Asgardian Bifrost,” the purple man said. “That’s fascinating.” He held out his hand. “I am Vision.”

She slid her hand into his. “Singularity. It’s very unique to meet you.”

“Unique?”

“I’ve never met you before. That hasn’t happened in several hundred universes.”

“I cannot tell if that’s a compliment or a cause for concern.”

“Well, I’ve only been to three thousand, four hundred and twelve universes. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to who’s in which one.” Hooking a thumb at her, she added, “Lani’s only been in a couple hundred.”

“Well, that sucks,” Sam muttered.

“She’s like a walking existential crisis,” Lani agreed.

Trying to be reassuring, Singularity said, “You have a lot of other girlfriends. Sometimes boyfriends!”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “If it’s ever Steve, I don’t want to know,” he replied.

“Well, I do,” Lani said immediately, sounding very amused.

“It’s not _always_ Steve,” she offered hesitantly.

“Does that vary a lot between universes?” Lani asked. “Orientation?”

She couldn’t help but smile. She’d had similar questions from at least three other Lani’s and like everything else, conversation got easier with practice. “Not a lot. Some people never change, as far as I’ve seen. Other yous have a theory that the people who do vary fall naturally somewhere in the bisexual range and circumstances or experiences nudge them one way to another.”

“Will Ms Singularity be staying with us?” Vision asked.

“She’s requested to join the team,” Lani told him. “And Sam pulled a Clint and agreed. So yes, for the time being, she’ll be staying.”

“Perhaps in that case, we should call Mrs. Bennett to assign lodging.”

“Oh, her and Darcy in the same room is going to be a hoot.”

“Darcy and I get along very well,” Singularity said. “You should make sure we have lots of time, she always asks many questions.”

This Darcy was no different. All the same questions about how she was alive and what space was like and if there was a universe where she was queen of everything. This one gently poked her arm, which was new, but not particularly surprising.

When she was satisfied, she leaned back and commented, “You know, I really thought I’d seen all the weird shit the world had to offer, but this job continues to surprise me.”

“Technically, I’m not from the world.”

“That’s a good point, I feel better. Lemme get you an apartment.”

“Thank you!” She didn’t need to sleep, but she liked having a little bit of space of her own.

The apartment Darcy brought her to was more than enough for her purposes, with a lovely view of the city and lots of comfy furniture. “Lani said she’d handle introducing you to the rest of the team,” Darcy told her. “So I’ll leave you to get settled.”

“Thank you,” Singularity repeated, smiling.

Darcy let herself out, and Singularity sank onto the couch. That had gone very nice. She liked this universe.

*

A meeting was scheduled in the common room that afternoon. Vision didn’t always attend team meetings—humans really did tend to ramble, and he could watch a recording of it at 10x speed. But this one seemed like it might be interesting.

Several of the team members had arrived before he got there. Based on their conversation Lani had been. . . strategically vague when calling the meeting. They knew it was about a new recruit and that she was unusual.

Kate had claimed a corner of the couch, her baby in her arms, slurping happily on a bottle. “I have not had enough sleep for new people.”

“Oh, trust me,” Darcy said. “This will wake you up.”

“What’s with all the ominous shit?” Eli asked.

“Yeah,” Cassie piped up. “Did you hire a serial killer?”

“Even weirder.”

The elevator pinged and Lani hovered out, followed by Singularity.

Suddenly the only sound in the entire room was Teddy eating. After a moment, Kate said, “Now I’m less convinced I’m awake at all.”

“Everyone, this is Singularity,” Lani said, with an impressive amount of casual calm. “She is a sentient quantum singularity that has the ability to travel from one alternate universe to another. In her home universe she was part of a superhero team similar to ours. When that universe was destroyed, she hopped realities and began searching for people she knew with a team to join. She has been to over three thousand universes and has met other versions of us many times. We’ve agreed to let her stay here and get to know us to see if she wants to join our team and stop unvierse hopping. She’s happy to answer any questions you have and may have some for you.”

Singularity had her hands over her mouth. When Lani finished she squeaked, “Kate has a _baby_?!”

“We do,” Wyatt said slowly.

“I totally buy that that’s the rarest thing in 3,000 universes,” Eli said.

Singularity came a little closer, peering at Teddy. “He’s adorable. Look at all that hair!”

“That’s my fault,” Wyatt said.

She smiled widely at him. “I’m glad you found her.”

He tilted his head. “Is that rare, too?”

“Not as rare as procreation.”

That seemed to upset Wyatt. “Well. I’m glad I live in this universe.”

Tess raised her hand hesitantly. “Um. . . do you have powers? Besides the universe hopping?”

Turning to her, Singularity said pleasantly, “I can teleport and bring people with me. I can fly. And I’m mostly indestrucable.”

“Mostly?” Ada asked immediately. Vision was not even remotely surprised.

“Bullets, blades, fire and conventional explosions haven’t harmed me.” She paused, head tilted. “The bomb hurt, though.”

“I’m more curious why not ‘completlely’,” Ada replied.

“I haven’t been hit by every possible destructive force so I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty.” She pointed at her. “You were the one who told me that.”

Vision was not even remotely surprised by that, either.

“I bet I scan you a lot,” Ada said. “And ask 400 questions.”

“You do. Lots of you like to scan me.”

“I just assumed I was the worst,” she replied. Vision admired her self-awareness.

“When Tony is here he’s pretty bad. Some others you guys don’t have here are worse.”

“He’s upstate. He’ll probably come down once he gets wind of you.”

She nodded. “Is he with Pepper?”

“Yep,” Ada confirmed. “Three kids.”

Singularity bounced a little. “Oh good. Those are the nice Tonys.”

“Do we all have not-nice alter egos?” Wyatt asked.

She nodded, but her posture changed to something uncertain and cautious. “Some universes are just bad.”

There was a bit of silence while people contemplated that. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Sam said, “Sounds like most of us have gay alter egos.”

“The romantic arrangements do shuffle around,” Singularity said. She gestured. “There’s one where Kate and Eli get married,” she said, prompting the two of them to look at each other in horror. “Also Nate and Cassie,” she added, prompting more horrified looks. “Oh, and Peter has like, half a dozen potential women. Who is it this time?”

“Um, MJ,” he said uncertainly.

“Oh, I like her. She’s funny.”

“Okay,” Darcy said. “We could probably do this for hours. “Do we want to put some order around it?”

“I’m actually comfortable not knowing anything about my other selves,” Kate said. “But welcome to the team.”

“Thank you,” Singularity said sincerely, smiling.

“I wanna do scans,” Ada piped up, raising a hand.

She chuckled. “You always do.”

“Well, maybe we let Ada start with scans,” Darcy said. “And the rest of us can write down our questions to pepper her with over the next few days.”

“I am always happy to answer questions. And I will always answer honestly,” Singularity said. “But sometimes people get upset about the answers. So I would strongly suggest that you really think before you ask. Like Kate, you may decide it’s better not to know.”

Human curiosity often exceeded their ability to handle the eventual truth. But their curiosity was one of his favorite things about them.

The group broke up after that, with Singularity trailing after Ada. After a moment of consideration, Vision followed them. 

He fell in step beside her. “I wish you had known other versions of me. I find this fascinating.”

“There have been other androids,” she told him. “Similar to you. But never with an infinity stone. Never with his own personality.”

“I have theorized that there are a multitude of highly unique events that had to happen, precisely timed to the millisecond, for me to exist.” 

She nodded. “That tends to be how it is with people who are rare. I have a theory that the reason I rarely see Lani is that there were many variables that went into her having her accident and becoming a therapist. Without anyone of them, she never joins the team.”

“But they are better with her.”

“They are happier. They usually have families. Some have retired before dying or getting injured.”

“Is this a particularly happy universe.”

She tilted her head thoughtfully. “It seems to be. People are older than I usually find them, which may help. But people seem very settled.”

“Do you move through time?” he asked, intrigued.

“Not intentionally. But things seem to move at slightly different paces. Sometimes Steve has only just woken up and Tony is still a young man. Sometimes Kate is a teenager. Once World War Two was still going on.”

“That’s horrifying.”

“It was unpleasant, yes. I did not stay long.”

“Do you feel emotions like humans?”

“I believe so. Most of them. I don’t think I’ve ever been frigthened. But I was sad and mourned my friends when they died. I can be lonely and happy. I can grow fond of people.”

“That is about what I feel. I have a theory that hormones make human emotions more intense. Without them, things are muted.”

“That would make sense,” she agreed. “I do not have hormones or a body the way it is normally thought of.”

“Are you holding that shape to appear more. . .acceptable to them?”

She glanced down at herself. “I suppose. I didn’t consciously choose it, but it is convenient.” She looked up at smiled at him. “I don’t know what else I would look like, I suppose I’m not very imaginative.”

“My color scheme was an accident. I can change it if I need to, but I like it.”

“It’s very pretty,” she told him earnestly. “I like purple.”

He grinned back at her. “I like blue.”

That seemed to please her, and he had the oddest thought that, were she human she would be blushing. Then Ada called out that her first machine was ready and Singularity drifted away to let her experiment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay! We had some stuff going on--very busy time at work for me (Olives) and then Nyx and I took our kids to Disneyland. It was awesome, but there wasn't a moment to sit. But I've got all of next week off, and we're stuck inside with the smoke from the wildfires. . . so there will be lots of stuff going up, including multiple chapters of this one.

Singularity chatted with Ada while she ran her tests. Ada always had a lot of questions. Singularity had seen many version of Ada—some bubbly and happy, some cynical and withdrawn—but she was always, always curious.

“Wait, wait, are you serious? There’s a world where Uncle Steve and Uncle Tony lead armies against _each other_?”

Singularity nodded. "Several, actually. For various definitions of army. Usually it's over the super power registration act or some variant of it. It almost never ends well.”

Ada shook her head. “That just sounds crazy to me. I mean, I believe you. But it also sounds crazy.”

"Crazy happens a lot," she told her. "A lot of things depend on who they have surrounding them. If they have people they'll listen to.”

“The full suite of handlers? I believe that. My Dad grumps Uncle Tony is a full time job and there are like 4 people doing it.”

"That sounds about right. The less people keeping an eye on him, the higher chance of crazy.”

Ada moved on to a different piece of her equipment. “I can see how all the dominos could line up. One thing doesn’t happen, and then lots of other things don’t happen. Fourteen years ago my little brother tried to run into traffic and because of that I’m an Avenger. Pretty trippy. How often am I even here?”

Singularity could feel the tingle from the current scanner. It was almost a tickle. “You are a fixture, I see you a lot. You seem to just find your way here no matter what. But you’re usually Ada Marsh.”

She nodded like she understood. After a long pause she said, “My Dad—Bruce, my current Dad—does he ever have a happy life in the universes I’m Ada Marsh?”

"Some of them." Singularity glanced up at the scanner. "Sometimes he's not with the group. Sometimes he's with a woman named Betty. Once or twice he's been a content bachelor. Bruce's dominoes vary.”

“He swears we’re the only reason he’s not dead or on the RAFT. It’s nice to know he’s being melodramatic.” Ada cocked her head. “Hey, can you step a few feet to the left?”

She obeyed, gliding over to her left. "I mean, there are certainly worlds like that, but not all of them. Of course, I've only seen a small sampling of all possible worlds.”

“The stars on your body move when you move,” she said, apparently distracted from universe questioning. “FRIDAY, what stars are those?”

"I do not recognize any of the constellations," FRIDAY replied. "Vision said it resembled the view off the Bifrost.”

“Huh. Okay. I need Jane.” She pointed at Singularity. “Be right back.” Ada marched over to a pair of sliding doors and stepped out onto the balcony. The stood there a moment, apparently having a conversation with the sky.

Singularity watched with interest. There were a couple of worlds where Ada was legitimately mad, but this didn't seem like one of those. Those worlds were usually really sad.

She came back through the door a minute later. “Hi, sorry. If Heimdal needs to send the Bifrost it can’t be done indoors. But I think Jane and Thor will just come down. They land on the roof and then Wyatt complains about the burn marks on the helicopter pad up there.”

"Oh Thor! I like Thor. We go drinking together.”

“Yep, that sounds like Thor. Should have told him to bring some mead—though he keeps a stash in the building.”

Outside the windows, the sky flashed odd colors that Singularity associated with the Bifrost. "I think they're here.”

“Yep.” She came back over to the scanner, tapping on buttons and humming to herself. A few moments later the door opened, and Ada bounded over to hug the two people who came through it.

Thor looked as he always looked, give or take some hair. Jane Foster was grayer than usual, but healthy and smiling as she hugged Ada tightly. Singularity waited for them to all say their hellos before waving.

Ada explained who she was, and they both came over to look. Jane held out a hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. I apologize if I’m staring.”

"It's the usual reaction," Singularity said brightly. "It's good to see you. You usually ask interesting questions.”

Jane grinned. “I appreciate your patience. I am more interested in your stars than my other lives.” 

“You always are,” Singularity replied.

“I’m interested,” Thor said from the other side of Ada’a lab table. “What am I like in other universes?”

“You are. . . mostly the same. You’re one of the most consistently similar people across universes. Even if Earth is a smoking crater, if I can find you, you’ll make some attempt to make the best of it.”

That made Jane laugh. “That I absolutely believe.”

"He's very optimistic," Singularity said. "But not in a naive way. I think it's because you are so long lived. When seen on a grand scale, most problems don't seem so big.”

“That crater thing sounds bad,” he said.

“There was one where Asgard blew up,” Ada said. “You evacuated onto a big ship and brought everyone here.” 

"Your brother helped! And you had a Valkyrie girlfriend.”

Jane laughed again and looked up. “That I also believe. Maybe not the part about Loki helping. But Thor was obsessed with the Valkyries when he was a kid. There’s a mural of them in battle painted on the wall of his room in the palace.” She looked back at Singularity. “He wanted to be one. Please tell me there’s a universe that happened in.”

She grinned. "None of the ones I've been to, but I'm _sure_ there's one out there.”

“Well, I’m glad he at least gets to bang one,” Jane said.

“I don’t know that I’d be this chill about my spouse’s AU women,” Ada said.

“That’s because you’ll marry someone with a similar lifespan. There will be other women in this universe.”

"You're Thor in one of the universes I was in," Singularity told Jane. "It was awesome.”

“How. . ?” She looked baffled, and Singularity knew Jane Foster was a hard person to baffle. “Like, am I occupying his body or something?”

"He became unworthy so the hammer came to you. And you became Thor Goddess of Thunder. It was really confusing.”

“I had no idea I was worthy,” Jane replied. “I’m trying to think if I’ve ever even tried lifting it.”

“I have,” Ada volunteered.

Thor arched a brow. "Since you were a child?"

"No," she admitted.

"Can anyone in this universe lift it?" Singularity asked.

"Steve can shift it a bit. But the only other person I've seen full lift and swing it is Vision."

That made sense. Singularity didn't know Vision well - which was still a new and fun experience - but she imagined his worth and intentions were pretty pure.

Thor watched her a long moment, then asked, “Can you?”

"I haven't tried. You're usually kinda possessive of it.”

He had it on him, probably because he’d just come from Asgard, and flipped it around and put it on Ada’s lab table in front of her.

Part of her wanted to demure, thought she couldn't explain why. Perhaps there was a part of her that didn't want to know. But, well, it was a new experience and she had precious few of those anymore. So she reached out and curled her fingers around the leather wrapped handle.

It lifted easily off the table, and she was surprised at how little it weighed when one finally lifted it.

Thor laughed and said, “I’m not even surprised.” He was usually very territorial about Mjolnir. On the other hand, this version of him seemed particularly at ease, even for him. Everyone she’d met here seemed at ease in that way. Not naively so, but just a group of people who felt very secure and connected in their bonds to each other. As if every one of them knew that if the worst came, whatever it was, they’d all link arms and face it together. 

"It's very well balanced," she told him, setting the hammer back down. "I don't usually like weapons, though.”

“I have occasionally used it to build things,” he replied.

"That's adorable," Ada said.

"You are a very good builder in some realities," Singularity told him.

That made him smile. He leaned over to touch Jane’s shoulder. “We’ll be here a few days, you think?”

“Uh, yeah.”

He nodded. “I’ll go see how dusty our apartment is.”

She smiled and stretched up to kiss his cheek. "Have FRIDAY order us some food. I could go for a nice Earth dinner.”

“I will see it done,” he said. 

"Thank you, honey." Jane watched him stroll towards the elevator, still smiling, before turning back to Singularity. "Okay. Tell me more about quantum singularities.”

*

Vision’s brain contained just about all the knowledge there was to be had on Earth. The collected wisdom and writings of all of humanity, from the time man began pressing cuneiform shapes into clay tablets (and cuneiform was one of the very, very long lost of scripts he could read). Most of that had come from when he’d been JARVIS, but his brain was also wired into the internet, so he could access anything there was to be accessed.

He had an Infinity Stone in the middle of his forehead. It was one of the most powerful object in the universe. It helped him understand the insides of the human mind. How they thought, and what made them tick. He could read their minds if he wanted to, but he didn’t. He understood them well enough to know how violating a concept that was.

Still, these things tended to make him seem omniscient. It was nearly unheard of for him to answer a question with “I don’t know,” unless the the answer was simply unknowable. But all afternoon, while she was ostensibly studying, Ada had been peppering him with questions about Singularity, and all he’d been able to say was, “I don’t know.”

After the third or fourth time, she looked up from her work to study him. "Does that mean there's no Singularity in this universe? I thought you knew everything.”

“I do not know everything,” he said. “I’m only about a third through Asgard’s Library and I’ve been at that for nearly 15 years. And Asgard does not contain all the knowledge in the universe.”

She made a face that was reminiscent of her mother and yet entirely Ada. "You know everything the Mind Stone knows and that's close enough to everything I've never stumped you before.”

“The Mind Stone doesn’t know things, it understands things.” That got him more of the face. “But I suspect you are correct. She does not exist here. Just as I don’t exist anywhere else. Perhaps we are both unique.”

"That's kind of romantic," Ada said, going back to her work. "In an existentially terrifying way.”

“Romantic? How?”

He understood how humans thought in general. Not always Ada in particular.

"Well, if she is to be believed, there are hundreds of thousands of versions of all of us. Countless Adas and Kates and Uncle Tonys. But there's only one you and one of her. In all the universes you are unique. And you've managed to find each other.”

“I can see how one might write a lovely fiction novel about that. Or perhaps a movie?”

"I'm sure it would start as a brilliant, well-plotted book with intense symbolism and thought provoking themes and become and heavily CGIed summer pop corn movie with actors that look nothing like the main characters were described in the prose." Now she sounded like her mother.

“I’m pretty sure you’d have to CGI Singularity. There’d be an actress in a motion capture suit.”

"They'd get the stars wrong, too.”

“Undoubtedly.” He looked over at her. “I would like to be friends with her. I know almost nothing about her—which is also rare. I don’t think I could read her if I tried.”

That got him a glance through her hair. "Do you find that appealing?”

“I find it. . . intriguing.”

"I guess that's probably your equivalent. I guess it would be neat for you to find something new to learn about.”

“I expect she will appreciate someone not interrogating her about their past lives.”

Ada chuckled. "She's been super patient. I guess she must be used to us all.”

The elevator doors opened, and Prince Azari stepped out. He was doing a year of school in the US, and was staying with them in the tower. It had always gotten a bit lonely with just Vision and Ada, and he enjoyed the company. The Prince had brought his bodyguard, a Dora Milaje named Eshe, to New York with him. Vision had known Eshe since Azi and Ada were ten years old, and she was one of his closest friends. Together they mostly kept their charges out of trouble.

She came out of the elevator behind Azi, wrapped in furs. Eshe didn’t like cold weather, and it was January. “Have I just gotten hypothermia, or is there a blue mythical/interstellar being in building?”

“I saw it, too,” Azi replied before either of them could answer.

“You don’t have enough coat on, you could definitely have hypothermia.”

"She's real," Ada said. "Singularity has joined the team. Feel free to ask her random questions about the alternate universes she's visited.”

“Alternate universes?” Azi looked delighted and sat next to Ada. “I need to hear more.”

Ada launched into the tale. It looked like they had their evening’s entertainment lined up. Eshe sat across from Vision, and he said, “Sorry, I should have warned you. You didn’t shoot at her, did you?”

Eshe chuckled. “I don’t shoot.”

“I don’t know. You get a bit squirrelly when it’s below zero out there.”

"She's unharmed. She beamed at us and told me my head was pretty.”

“Your head is very symmetrical and smooth,” he replied. Vision knew Azi was always trying to get her to grow her hair out, insisting it would keep her head warm. It had become kind of a running joke.

"She said almost exactly the same thing," Eshe told him, slowly shedding her layers. "You must get along.”

“I believe we do, yes.”

"Always nice to find a kindred spirit in weirdness.”

“Are you at all curious about your alternate lives?” he asked.

She shrugged. "What's the point? If they're the same as this one it's boring. If they're better I'll be jealous and if they're worse I'll be guilty. Doesn't sound fun.”

“That is a very ‘you’ answer. There are no other versions of me, so I am spared the conundrum.”

"Really? Just one Vision on all the worlds?”

“I am unique. As, apparently, is Singularity.”

"It fits, doesn't it? She's singular and her name is Singularity?”

“I’m sure Ada will find that romantic, too.”

"I do!" she called from her side of the room. Ada's super powers might include selective hearing. FRIDAY could remind her a dozen times of an appointment and she "wouldn't hear it" but she could pick up an interesting conversation from the other side of the lab.

Eshe chuckled and shook her head. “Are you two in for the night?” she called at Ada and Azi.

They exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison. "You're off the hook for the night," Azi confirmed.

“Then off the hook I shall be,” Eshe said, pulling herself out of her chair. “Good night all,” she add, giving a small wave and then heading to the elevator. It wasn’t very late, and Vision doubted she was actually turning in. But she had her own social life. It was a very common thing for humans to pair off—they’d do it pretty naturally when left together for any period of time.

Ada had been a minor when they’d first come to New York, and Vision came along as her guardian. Numerous people had commented that he would be excellent in the role because he wouldn’t get distracted. It was, he thought, just as common for humans to assume that if you weren’t interested in having a sexual partner, you were not interested in any sort of companionship at all.

“I believe I will go for a walk,” Vision announced after Eshe was gone. “Let FRIDAY know if you have any need of me.”

Ada gave him a wide smile. "I will. Have a good night.”

He wondered if she guessed where he was going. It would certainly entertain her if she did. But he was, in the end, just as curious about someone who seemed as unique as he was. 

He took the elevator down to the guest quarters and walked to Singularity's door, knocking politely. Perhaps one of the hardest things to get used to was the concept of privacy. He could, if he wished, phase right through the wall to visit whomever he wanted. He had understood quickly that a closed door required knocking. But it had taken longer to understand that the phasing was still unsettling when a door was open.

The door slid open at the same time Singularity called out for him to enter. She was standing - for want of a better term, it was hard to tell if her feet were touching the floor - by the windows, looking out at the city.

“Hello. I thought I’d come see how you were settling in.”

She glanced over and smiled. "That's kind of you. I'm all right, I think. I was just watching the city.”

“My earliest memory is that view,” he said, coming further into the room. He pointed. “From a few floors up.”

"When you were first. . . made?”

“Yes. I never know what to call it. I was not born. But ‘made’ feels like it belongs to a machine. Which I am. Not precisely.” He gazed at the city lights. “I was brought to life by a lightning bolt, I’m told, which hurtled me into some sort of scuffle that I don’t entirely remember, I believe someone flung me at the glass. Then I saw the city. And a moment later, more amazingly, my face reflected back at me in the glass.”

He sensed her looking at him. "That reminds me of a book I read once. Or a play I saw. Modern Prometheus." She shook her head slightly. "It sounds disorienting.”

“It was. My brain was trying to sort through an incredible amount of data, and it was hard to isolate things. Who I was, why I was here.” He looked down at her. He didn’t want to stare, but she was honestly the most visually arresting creature he’d ever seen. “I used to be the AI that ran this building.”

“That explains why you sound like JARVIS. Who exists in most universes containing a reasonably sane Tony Stark.”

“I am not him, but he is part of me. I have managed to unearth and incorporate most of his memory.”

"JARVIS and I usually get along. When he's an AI, at least. Sometimes he's a person. A very nice person, but a little exasperated with the weirdness Tony draws to him.”

“I know in this universe JARVIS was based on a person who helped raise Tony. I am made from him and a different, somewhat—very—malevolent AI that Tony also created. Ultron wanted to destroy the world, and I was to be his body.”

"Oh, Ultron! I've met him," she said brightly. "I helped defeat him a couple times.”

“Have you been to universes where he won?”

She was quiet a moment. "Those are bad universes.”

She sounded so sad when she talked about the bad universes that he didn’t ask questions. He could imagine plenty well. “Have you ever met another version of yourself?”

"I have not," she admitted. "I have a theory that since I can travel from one universe to another there can only be one of me. Or maybe I exist in all universes at once? So I'm only my consciousness and when I move from one universe to another I recreate my physical form." It was hard to make out expressions one her face, but just then she looked a little chagrined. "That's one of those ideas I can only understand in glimpses.”

“Either theory is plausible. We don’t really know much about inter dimensional travel.”  
"Yes, it's one of those questions that only I can find the answer too, but probably can't ever be sure of. It's frustrating.”

“How long do you usually stay places?”

She shrugged. "It depends. If it's a bad universe I leave quickly, unless I can find my friends and help fight. If I can find a team like there is here I'll stay a while, if I'm welcome. This has been one of the most welcoming places. I'd like to stay somewhere for a long time but I never seem to. . . fit. I'm not sure I ever will.”

“You’ve only tried a few thousand times. That’s a drop in the ocean. I bet home is out there somewhere.” He smiled. “Or may it will be here.”

"I like it when you smile," she told him. "You look very human. In a good way.”

“Thank you. I can actually look totally human if I want. Except the stone still glows.”

"I've tried to look human a few times but I can't seem to make it work.”

Vision studied her a moment. “I imagine it’s that you don’t have much by way of mass. Hence, the floating hair.”

Her head tilted one way, then the other. "Interesting. I wonder if I gathered up some mass if I'd have better results.”

“Perhaps. I will tell you that for me, I prefer this look.”

It was her turn to smile. "Thank you. I don't think I would change permanently. But it might be nice to have the option. People stare.”

“Sometimes I get tired of that, too. It’s normally why I change. So I don’t draw a crowd.” 

She nodded in understanding. "On that topic, I was thinking of exploring the city a bit. Would you care to join me?”

He could feel himself grinning. “Nothing would delight me more.”


	3. Chapter 3

“I was thinking maybe we could stay down here for a little while?”

Thor was in the middle of cleaning the top of the bookshelves—which, for all Darcy raved about the cleaning robots, were filthy—and didn’t quite hear what Jane had said in the kitchen. She came out and repeated it, adding, “I just kind of miss everyone. Especially Darcy and Ada.”

They spent most of their time on Asgard the last couple years while she worked on charting and studying parts of the universe you could see from Bifrost but not anywhere on earth. He spent most of his time putting out small fires all over the realms, and managing Asgard when his father went to visit his girlfriend on Alfhiem. Which was, in Thor’s opinion, way too often. Part of him thought age was finally getting the best of his father’s faculties and judgement. Another part of him thought Odin was passive-aggressively railroading him into taking over the throne.

It was probably the second. Though his father claimed it was just that the girlfriend didn’t like Thor much.

“Your father takes plenty of vacations,” Jane was saying, like she could read his mind. “So can we.”

"Of course we can stay," he said. He'd been expecting her to want to stay a bit. He had also missed his friends on Earth. "Heimdal can always contact me if needed.”

“Good,” she said, sitting on the couch. “You don’t really need to dust up there, you know.”

"Just because _you_ can't see it.”

She rolled her eyes at him. He loved her more than anything in the nine realms, but if left alone she’d happily let their kitchen sink grow its own sentient life forms. And then she and Ada would gleefully perform scientific tests on them. Before he could mention that, she said, “While we’re down here, I am going go get my hair dyed.”

He raised his brows. "You've never done that before.”

“When I went downstairs to get the pizza, the receptionist, who I think is a temp who may or may not live under a rock asked me if my son was single.” 

He winced. "I'm sorry, Jane.”

“I’ve been waiting for it for a while now. I mean. . . I’m not going to convince people I’m 30. But I generally don’t pay attention.” She gestured at herself. “So I am aware I kind of look like grandma. I think I’m still young enough I can pull off Cougar, though.”

"Are you going to dye your hair to match the color of a cougar?”

She laughed, so hard she put her hand to her stomach like her abs hurt. “No, no. It’s a saying. Older women who date younger men are called cougars.”

"I see. Then yes. You are a very sexy cougar.”

Jane laughed again and shook her head. “You’re a good husband, you know that?”

"I do try. I'm glad I succeed more often than not.”

“Do you have a preference in what color I dye my hair?”

He considered a moment. "I liked the color you had when you were young. But it's up to you. I hear on Alfheim it's becoming a trend to dye it wild colors.”

“I don’t think I can pull off purple hair.”

"I disagree.”

She leaned over to kiss him. “Light brown it is,” she replied.

He tucked her into his side. "I was thinking, when we do go back, we should invite Singularity to join us and see Asgard.”

“I think that is an excellent idea. Heimdal would certainly love to meet her.”

"Some of our scholars and astronomers as well. And you can inspect her stars some more.”

“She said you and her are drinking buddies, so you could probably go troll the taverns.”

"Being a cosmic entity she can probably keep up with me," he said with a grin.

“We’re meeting again tomorrow, I will ask her.”

"So it sounds like we have the evening to ourselves?”

Jane looked up at him. “I assumed you’d spend it dusting the lintels.” He didn’t know what a lintel was, but he could see from her face she was teasing him, so it was entirely possible she’d made up the word.

"No," he replied. "I was going to suggest we test the structural integrity of the bathroom fixtures. For old time's sake.”

“I’m a little concerned those kind of shenanigans are going to result in a broken hip.” But she grinned at him.

"I'll take extra care with your hips."

*

This New York City was the same as many of the New York Cities Singularity had been in. The Brooklyn Bridge still spanned the water. The Statue of Liberty guarded her harbor. There were differences. Places that had been changed or scarred by events unique to this universe. It was fun to wander the city and find them. Especially with company. 

Vision was as tireless as she was and would happily walk with her anywhere, telling her the history of a particular neighborhood or corner. She would counter with the events she knew of another version of the same place. They could spend endless days doing it to every inch of the city.

“Can you move through time?” Vision asked her as they paused in Times Square to look at all the giant screens.

"Not really, but some of the universes seem to travel at different speeds." She tilted her head back. "Technology advances differently, wars happen at different times and last different lengths.”

“I believe quite a bit could be learned—and both proved and disproved—about the function of spacetime by analyzing all of your travels.”

She looked away from the screens to smile at him. "You sound like Ada.”

He smiled. “I do spend a lot of time with her.”

"It's nice. You have a very sweet relationship with her.”

“She was JARVIS’s favorite, of all the people in the Tower. From the moment she moved in, she was an endless fountain of fascinating questions. I eventually was able to access most of JARVIS’s memories, but at the beginning I really couldn’t. One of the very few things I was certain of was that Ada was my friend. She was just a little girl then.” They’d stopped long enough tourists were taking pictures and a crowd was forming. Singularity was actually impressed by how little, in general, they were mobbed, considering how bizarre the two of them must look to the humans. But that, as ever, was New York.

One little girl was staring at her, open mouthed. Singularity waved brightly at her. "Ada said you sort of grew up together. You were sorting yourself out and she was going to school.”

“It was a lot like that, yes. I lived with her and her family. And to a certain degree I suppose we are siblings. If I were to consider the people who made me my parents, we share a father.”

"I usually like Bruce," she said thoughtfully. "He's often sad, but he's usually a good man. And calming to be around.”

“I imagine he would be fascinated to meet you.” He started walking again. “He is not, as far as I have ever seen, particularly sad.” 

"When he's married he's not sad. Especially with Violet and the kids.”

“Humans are happier when they have family.”

She nodded. "They're pack animals. No matter what else is happening, they band together.”

“There is no reason I should have a desire to do the same, but I do. As, I think, do you.”

"I like having friends," she confirmed, pausing to look in the window of a jeweler. "I miss the ones that died and don't like having to leave the ones I find. Being alone feels. . . unnatural. No one to talk to, no one to share things with.”

“Hence why you keep hopping universes.”

"I suppose so. Looking for a home.”

“This universe is not a bad place to be.”

"I like it the best of the last hundred or so I've been to. It's not quite like my original one. But it _feels_ the same, in some ways. The people here have seen wonders great and terrible and come out the other side whole.”

Someone leapt out of a doorway to take a picture, and then frowned at their phone. Singularity waved at them. She tended to ruin photographs, if not entire cameras. Beside her, Vision sighed. “Sometimes I do wish we could go somewhere with no people.”

She tilted her head. "Like where?”

“A deserted tropical island? The Canadian wilderness? Mongolia?”

Singularity went over everything she knew about the world and decided the Canadian wilderness would be the most pretty. So she stretched her thoughts out and pulled them both there.

They were knee deep in snow, surrounded by tall evergreens that were similarly frosted. Snowy peaks lined the horizon. She watched Vision do a full circle, taking in the view in surprise. Then he looked down at her. “We are in Banff National Park in Alberta.”

She grinned. "Canadian wilderness.”

He laughed. “Now I truly am impressed.” He turned in another circle. “You can just go anywhere.”

"Anywhere in the universe," she confirmed.

“Let’s go somewhere else. Anywhere.”

She stretched out her senses again and found a new spot where they wouldn't be observed, then yanked them there. It was nearly the exact opposite, hot and flat as far as the eye could see, full of scrub brush and red dirt.

“Queensland, Australia,” Vision said. His outfit transformed from the pants and boots and jacket he’d had on into a long sleeveless tunic and sandals. She laughed and pulled them somewhere new. First a cornfield in Iowa, then the top of small mountain in the Himalayas, and finally a tiny island off the coast of Maine.

“This is honestly amazing,” he told her. “Can I vote for more warm weather, though?” She took them to the Gobi desert, which made him laugh out loud.

"You don't like the cold?" she asked.

He seemed to think about that. “You know, I don’t actually have a preference. I have temperature sensors but they don’t dictate comfort. However, those around me have such a strong preference that cold weather puts everyone in a bad mood, and so I have come to associate it with such.”

"I like the cold," Singularity said, bending to draw in the sand. "I don't really notice temperature one way or another. But I find snow pretty and I like how humans bundle up and play in it, even though they aren't adapted to be comfortable in it.”

“Children always love the snow.”

"I like when people or animals go against natural instincts. When they're not logical because they want to have fun or make someone happy. Snow and deep cold can hurt or kill people but still their first inclination is to make snow balls.”

Vision laughed. “It is one of my favorite things about them. Their utter lack of logic sometimes.”

She looked up at him, surprised. "You're so logical, I would expect you to find it frustrating.”

“Sometimes. But it is so unique. It makes life. . . interesting.” 

For Vision that was probably the most important thing, the same way finding things that were unique were important for her. "Do you need air?" she asked.

“I do not. My chest moves because Ada insists I am too ‘uncanny valley’ without it.”

Singularity nodded and took them to the moon. 

The look on his face was absolutely worth it. He stared at the earth in the distance, looked down at the ground and back at her and laughed, though no sound came out. Sound waves required a medium to carry them. He frowned a second, the tried sign language. “I don’t suppose you can understand this.”

"I understand all languages," she replied with her hands.

“As do I. Though this is one of the three I use most regularly, along with English and Wakandan.” He did a turn. “We’re on the moon.”

"Yes. I can go anywhere, but I thought you'd like the view here best.”

“This is truly remarkable. The view from the bifrost is much more visually stunning, but there is just something about, well, home.”

"It always looks peaceful from up here.”

“Have you been to universes where people live up here?”

"Oh yes. There are a group called Inhumans who take over the moon rather frequently because humans are prejudiced against them. And sometimes humans colonize Mars. Usually Tony or one of his proteges has something to do with that.”

“I would not want to be in a tiny spaceship for the year-long flight to Mars with him.”

Singularity laughed silently. "He has his suit.”

“I can’t fathom Pepper standing for that in any case. Or is there no Pepper in those worlds?”

"Sometimes there is. Sometimes they go out because the Earth is becoming unstable so there's really no argument for not going out.”

He looked down at her. “Can we go to Mars?”

In response, she grinned and took them there.

They ended their wanderings late that night, camping out at the North Pole to watch the Aurora Borealis. Vision made them chairs out of ice to sit in. “I think this might be the most entertaining day I have ever had in my entire existence,” he told her.

"I had fun, too," she said, tipping her head back to watch the colors dance. "It's so rare to find someone I can share all this with. Who doesn't find me strange or too powerful.”

“You are strange and too powerful,” he said. Then he looked over at her, “But we are both of those things together.”

"I suppose that means we should stick together.”

“That sounds like a very appealing prospect.”

*

During the day, there were things to do. Vision did scientific work with Ada, as well as serving as her bodyguard—which mostly involved standing around bullshitting with Eshe while Ada and Azi did things. Singularity was busy with team things and training while Kate and Eli tried to figure out what her role would be and how she would fit in.

But neither of them needed sleep the way humans did, and so when the world in New York went to bed, they went on their adventures. Sometimes they stayed on Earth, visiting places he had always been curious about but couldn't access. Other times they traveled the stars, visiting other plants and seeing nebulas and galaxies barely visible with a telescope. She took him to the desolate spot she believed she had been born, now a vast empty swath of space with no planets or stars.

"I just remember waking up," she explained once they were back on Earth and could speak out loud again. They were in Paris as she sipped a mocha and watched the crowd mill about the Champs D'Elyse. She didn't need food, any more than he did, but she liked certain "chemical arrangements," especially caffeine. "Everything was dark but in the distance I saw stars. So I headed towards them.”

“You must have come from something. Complex life is not know to appear spontaneously.”

"I know. I don't think I came from an egg.”

“I am able to look into people’s memories, see things buried that they have no conscious memory of. But you I can’t read at all—not even a little. Which, if I’m honest, is one of the things I find so fascinating about you.”

She smiled, sipping her drink. "I think I like being a woman of mystery.”

“I do appreciate all of my friends you allow to scan you.” Yesterday they’d gone to Wakanda, partly for him to show her where he’d lived for nearly a decade, and partly at the behest of Azi’s mother, who wanted to scan her. While there, Singularity had told Princess Shuri about the universe where she’d saved the world at 16, and made a friend for life.

It was impossible not to like Singularity. He didn’t know why he felt pride at that. She was not his. But somehow he felt like she was, and he didn’t know what to do with that.

Vision could control minds. It wasn’t an ability many people knew about—not even Ada knew the full scope. It was too dangerous and frightening. The only person who knew the full extent of his mental powers was Wanda, because she had much of the same. He did openly use it mildly, though, for the purposes of disguise. It was very easy to hide things from notice of the human mind with only a superficial touch. He used it so he and Singularity could sit in a cafe and not draw a crowd.

Though that did call something to mind. “I have to take you to meet Wanda.” Most of the crew from Ithaca had come down to see take a gander at her, pepper her with questions and other things that were now routine—they’d both enjoyed the Doc-n-Tony show while they scanned her and bickered over whose area she fell into. Wanda was too pregnant to travel.

Her smile widened. "More scanning?”

“Of a fashion, yes. But not with equipment.”

"I know. I've met many Wandas. We always get along.”

“We should also go visit Asgard at some point. I have access to the Royal Library.” 

"Thor mentioned the other day that we should come with him and Jane when they returned. Everyone keeps telling me I look like the view from the Bifrost bridge, I should at least see it.”

“Normally I could take you—Heimdal will open it for me, and also for Ada. But it’s closed at the moment because Odin is in a different realm. Security protocol, I believe.”

"There's no rush," she said. "We have plenty of time.”

He watched her a moment. “You are not eager to leap to your next universe?”

"I have no reason to do so. Everyone here is kind and welcoming. They are eager to have me on the team and let me help." She looked out at the crowd. "I thought I wanted to find copies of the old friends I lost, but I think I like this better. New people, new memories." She smiled suddenly and looked back at him. "And you're here. I haven't found you anywhere else. I would miss you if I never saw you again.”

“I would miss you if I never saw you again, too,” he said quietly.

She touched his hand lightly with her fingertips. "So I'll stay.”

He turned his hand over to wrap his fingers around hers. He couldn’t recall ever having the urge to hold someone’s hand before, and hadn’t done so since Ada was a child. But here it was, so to speak. “Good."

When it was a decent hour in New York he contacted Wanda to find out if she was up for a visit.

"Please bring her," she said in reply. "I can barely move and have been hearing stories about the walking black hole for two weeks.”

Vision chuckled. “We’ll be right there.” And they were—she was still holding her phone when they appeared in her living room.

Her brows went up. "That's a handy trick."

Singularity bounced on her toes and pointed at Wanda's very round belly. “Babies!"

“There are three of them in there,” Vision said. He looked over at Wanda. “Unless they found more?”

"No, just the three. Two girls and a boy. They're all healthy and active and I can't wait to get them out.”

“I suppose it would be polite to actually introduce. . . Singularity, Wanda Taschengregger.”

"A pleasure," Wanda said, holding out a hand.

Singularity took it. "It's very nice to meet you. Everyone's told me nice things about you.”

“I can’t read her at all,” Vision said. “I was curious if you could.”

"It's all right if you try," Singularity added before Wanda could ask.

Wanda tilted her head and studied her a moment. "Not. . . really. No particular thoughts. But there's a sense to her that's very similar to you.”

He looked at Singularity and back at Wanda. “What do you mean, similar?”

"Her energy reminds me of you." She paused, then clarified. "She feels like the Stone.”

“Could you have been made by one?” he asked Singularity.

Her head tilted thoughtfully. "It's certainly possible. I know so little about my beginnings.”

“No, no,” Wanda said. “It’s not like Pietro and I. It’s not. . . some leftover trace. The energy is just as strong as yours, I think."

Singularity studied her a moment. "Does that mean I _am_ a Stone?”

Vision leaned back. “Huh. I’d think the space stone given the teleporting, but that’s on Asgard. I suppose there are other possibilities.” He smiled ruefully. “Haven’t gotten to that section of the library yet.”

"Thor might know," Wanda offered. "Or Jane, she looked into the mythology of the stones quite a lot after her experience with the Aether.”

“They came down a few weeks ago so Jane could study Singularity.” He looked over at the shifting sky in her hair. It really was mesmerizing. “Chart her stars.”

Singularity gave him a brilliant smile at that. When he turned back to Wanda, she had an odd look on her face. "You are fascinating to look at," she told Singularity.

"Thank you!" she said brightly.

“I did want to give Singularity a bit of a tour of the compound. Are you up for levitating around with us?”

"Tony gave me one of Lani's old hover chairs so i don't have to waste my energy.”

“We’ll get one of the electric cars over here so you’ll stay warm.” He had FRIDAY send one over. “You know, the stones would likely explain why we are so unique."

"The Infinity Stones are the most unique things in existence," Singularity said. 

Wanda bundled up and they went outside to meet the car. He felt Singularity tuck her hand into his, and he smiled down at her. “I like the idea of us being the same,” he said quietly.

Her fingers squeezed his. "Me too."

After their tour of the compound, a detour through Tony and Bruce’s lab and a stop for tea with Violet, they got lunch and made it back in time for Wanda’s brood to get home from school. Singularity took the children out to run around in the snow, and Vision and Wanda sat in their glassed in back sun room and watched.

At the moment the kids were trying to bury Singularity, and the snow kept sliding off of her.

"She is a mystery, isn't she?" Wanda said.

“She is. Though I think everything about her is there to find. There is just so much it’ll take a long time to get through.”

"Are you determined to find it?”

“I’m not looking to catalogue her like a cosmic anomaly like Ada and Jane.”

"That wasn't what I was suggesting.”

He looked over at her. “What are you suggesting in your favorite Cryptic Wanda Voice?”

"You spend entirely too much time with Ada," she told him, shaking a finger at him. "You used to let me be mysterious.”

“I have struck up a friendship with her. We are both oddities. It is remarkable to be around someone who does not require me to hide or limit myself.”

"That's very much how I felt when I found Zev.”

“On day, everyone I love will be gone, and I will still be here. I am not scared of much, but I am scared of that. But I imagine she is as immortal as I am.”

Wanda nodded. "I know that Kam found that very reassuring when she and Raf met. It's nice to have someone that feels like your match. That fits even the parts of you you may not like or appreciate.”

Outside they all were making snow angels. “I notice you compare it to romantic relationships.”

"I do. I know you aren't interested in sex, but that's not the same thing as romance or partnership.”

“She makes me happy,” he said. It was as simple and as complicated as that.

She nodded again. "I'm glad. It's good to see you happy.”

That made him smile. “So few can tell, one way or the other.”

"You're hard to read, but I've known you a long time.”

Vision watched them outside for a bit, and when Singularity noticed she waved. He waved back. “You know what,” he said to Wanda. “I think I’m going to go play in the snow.”

She smiled widely and wiggled her fingers. "Have fun."


	4. Chapter 4

They had been on Midgard for over a month. Jane was quite entertained catching up with all their friends and nerding out over Singularity. But Thor was starting to feel a bit restless. His father was still absent from Asgard and it sat poorly with him to have the realm unoccupied for so long.

And then one afternoon, Odin showed up at his door.

Well, technically, he showed up at the front desk of the Tower and Thor went down to get him, utterly confused as to what he was doing here and why on earth he hadn't come on the Bifrost.

As soon as he saw him, he knew something was wrong. He wasn't dressed like the Allfather of the realms, but like a kindly grandfather, with a thick fisherman's sweater and a leather eye patch.

"Father?" he asked quietly. "What is it?”

Odin smiled widely. "Ah. My boy. It's good to see you again. May we speak in private?”

“Come upstairs,” he said, not wanting to have this conversation—he imagined it would be a _conversation_ —in the lobby.

He nodded and Thor gave a thank-you wave to the receptionist as he lead him to the elevators. He waited until they got to his apartment and he was fixing his father a cup of tea before asking, "Who in all the realms is sitting on the throne of Asgard?"

"Your brother," Odin said, peering out the window at the view. “Loki."

Thor stared. “Loki is dead. I saw him die.”

He chuckled. "Loki is far harder to kill than you might imagine. Though, from what I understand, he was rather surprised to wake up.”

He didn’t know what to do with that disorienting knowledge. Was he happy? Was he angry? Mostly right now he was just confused. “Will you please tell me what the hell is going on?”

Before Odin could answer the door opened and Jane stepped in. She stopped short when she saw them. “Uh. Hello.”

"Ah, Jane." That was the happiest his father had ever sounded when speaking of or to Jane. "I was hoping you'd be here.”

“Well that’s a first,” Jane replied. 

"Father," Thor said. "Explain."

Odin sighed a little. "Your brother came to me after he woke on Svartlheim. He was determined to take the throne from me. We fought. And in the process, he uncovered some thing I had kept hidden. Secrets that are now coming to a head. At the time, I had hoped to keep them hidden a bit longer. And so we agreed he would keep my secrets and I would allow him space to rule.”

“What secrets could have been so bad that you’d give up your throne? To _Loki_ of all people.” Anger might be winning.

There must have been an edge to Thor’s voice, because his father responded in kind. “Well, someone had to take the throne and you made it very clear it wasn’t going to be you!”

That was. . . a point of a sort. "But he's Loki!"

"He's done a fairly good job, as far as I can tell. I trained both of you in how to rule. He just learned the lessons differently.

Thor blew out a breath, bracing his hands on the counter. "I suppose I should take comfort in the fact you're not _actually_ sleeping with a woman a third your age.”

Odin laughed. “No. Though she is a big part of why I have let him be for so long. She’s a good influence on him. And she knows who he is.”

"Suddenly I like her a bit more, too." He looked at his father. "Who else knows?”

“Heimdal. That’s it.”

Well, Heimdal knew everything, so that wasn't too bad. "Fine. What are these secrets you've been hiding but must now come to light?”

Odin hesitated, like he was searching for words, and Jane came into the kitchen, putting her hand on his back and rubbing it a little. After a moment, she reached across the table for the fruit bowl. Odin handed her an apple, and said, “I’m very sorry for how I treated you.”

She blinked in surprise, but took the apple. "I- thank you."

Thor looked from one to the other before focusing on his father. "You're dying, aren't you?”

Odin looked up. “I am.”

His stomach dropped and he braced himself more fully on the counter. He’d meant it as a joke. "What?"

His father waved him over, heading for the couch. "Come sit. I'll tell you the whole story."

Thor followed hesitantly, as if not going over to listen would make it not true. But he forced himself to take a seat. Jane sat on his other side and slid her hand into his. He tried not to squeeze it too hard.

“I’ve known for a while my time is coming. Since your mother, I. . .” His eyes unfocused a moment. “It hasn’t been worth fighting anymore. Except for the disaster I didn’t wish to leave behind for you.”

"What disaster? I still don't understand."

"When I was young, before you, before I had even met your mother, I was determined to rule with violence and fear. I conquered the realms one by one, keeping peace at the tip of the sword." He paused and shook his head. "The one holding the sword was Hela, the Goddess of Death. Your sister.”

“What happened to her?”

“Her violent appetites grew beyond my control. So I locked her away.”

His father's parenting skills had clearly not improved over the centuries. Seemed improper to say that to a dying man, though. "And now she's gotten out?”

“No. But my life is the only thing holding her back.”

"So when you die, she will be free." Odin nodded. "And blood thirsty and looking for revenge.”

He leaned back and closed his eyes. “That is a possibility."

Thor rubbed a hand over his face. "This is a lot to take in.”

“Might I rest for a bit?” Odin asked.

"Of course. Of course." Thor pushed to his feet. "I'll get your tea.”

Jane followed him into the kitchen, and he decided to hug her before getting the tea. For a moment he just put his face in her hair and inhaled her familiar, comforting scent. Then they parted. He poured the tea into mugs and she cut up her apple. 

"It does explain a few things, doesn't it?" he finally said, just to break the silence.

She munched one of her apple pieces. “I don’t even know where to start.” 

"The last. . . what, decade has been a lie?" His brother was alive and running Asgard. With his girlfriend. And now this father was apparently dying. It was a lot to process.

“I suppose in the scale of his life your father doesn’t consider a decade particularly long.”

"True. . . it probably felt more like a long overdue vacation.”

“I’m also concerned about the evil half sister locked in the attic.”

"Well, it's hardly the first time I had to beat up an evil sibling.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you get to beat up Loki again before this is all over.” She reached out to rub his arm, then picked up the tea mugs. “We’ll figure it out.”

"We always do," he agreed, heading back into the living room with her.

Odin took the tea, but declined the apple Jane offered him. Silence stretched, and then he said, “Not one could stop Hela but I. She destroyed the Valkyrie."

Thor stared at him. "She's the reason there's no more Valkyrie?”

He nodded. “I believe you are strong enough to stop her, but you will need all the help you can get. Including your brother.”

"I was really hoping to punch him, though.”

“I’m sure you’ll find time for both.” 

He smiled faintly. "I have several teammates who can hold their own against an Asgardian. I'll gather them and we'll gear up for battle." He paused. "Do you know where Hela will emerge from prison.”

“I believe wherever I am when i die. That is why I am here.”

Thor arched a brow. "You want her to appear on Earth?”

“It will buy you some time, before she figures out how to get to Asgard.”

"We are not using Earth as a buffer realm," Thor said.

“If she gets to Asgard and gets control of the bifrost she will consume the nine realms.”

"If she gets loose among a bunch of mortals we'll have a lot of innocent lives on the line.”

Odin shook his head. “They are mortals. Their lives are short.” Beside him Jane stood up without a word and stalked off.

"Father. We are not letting her appear on Earth. I will gather my team and we're going to Asgard. Where there is an army.”

He sighed. “Very well.”

"Good." That had been easier than he'd expected. "I'll go talk to the ones in the building first.”

“Thor,” Odin said quietly. “I have wanted to tell you. . . I was wrong about her. Your wife. I can see she makes you happy.”

He stopped and stared a moment. "I. . . thank you. Father.”

“You should be able to have a life with her.”

"I do. We're very happy. We've been spending a lot of time in Asgard and she's learning-“

“No, a real life. Like your mother and I.”

Thor sighed, not really up for this particular argument at this particular moment. "That would be nice, but Jane is mortal and there's nothing to be done for that. I chose to enjoy the time I have.”

Odin closed his eyes and tipped his head back, sighing. “I have kept too many secrets.”

"What are you-?"

From the other room came a little shriek. Before Thor could investigate, Jane stepped out. Only, she wasn't the older, greying hair and wrinkled Jane that had walked in. Now she looked as she had the first time he'd met her.

“Are you seeing this?” she asked, sounding a little alarmed. “Or am I losing my mind?”

"Father," Thor said slowly. "What kind of apple was that?"

"Iounn's apples. The last of them, so be careful no one else eats it. Unless you want a dozen new immortals running around.”

Jane looked horrified. “I’m immortal?”

Odin opened his eyes again, with apparently reluctance. “It’s a figure of speech. You’ll live a normal Asgardian lifespan, but you will die eventually. Just not imminently.”

Thor was, naturally, delighted at this news. But. . . "You could have asked. Or warned her.”

“I knew she’d be fine. She held the Aether, after all.”

Jane was peering at her hands, then pulled her shirt out to glance down it. "Are you all right?" Thor asked.

“I have no idea,” she replied. “This is going to take some time to wrap my head around.” She laughed. “I guess no one is going to call me your mother anymore.”

He smiled. "I should certainly hope not.” She reached her arms out, and he held her, lifting her off her feet. She was heavier, like an Asgardian. They had much denser bones and muscles than humans. His smile widened to a grin. "Well, that has all sorts of possibilities.”

She laughed again and her arms tightened. “The Goddess of Death is coming to try and conquer the Universe, and this is where your mind goes.” Her words were muffled by his shirt, but she did that a lot, so he could understand her. “I love you.”

"I love you, too." He kissed her hair. "I have to go start recruiting. We will revisit this when I've saved the day.”

“Go. I need to call Darcy up here. Ignore the screaming that will be audible in the hall.”

"I'll assume it's happy screaming," he assured her, setting her on her feet. He turned and looked at his father now dosing on the couch. The world had flipped upside down and he was going to have to deal with that. _All_ of it. But right now he had a battle to prepare for.

The other Asgardian in the building seemed like a good place to start.

Kamala and Raf were in their living room making a blanket fort with their daughter. “Hello,” he said. “I have a matter of some importance to discuss with you.”

The adults exchanged a look and Kam scooped Nazneen up. "Come on, baby. Let's leave the boys to chat.”

“This is feeling strangely like a Royal Summons,” Raf said, standing to come closer.

"In a way, I suppose it is. My father has arrived to warn me of a threat to this and the other realms. A threat I cannot fight alone.”

“Why aren’t you starting with Kate?” he asked. “If we’re going to marshal the team—“

“No,” Thor said. “This is an Asgardian fight, I can’t take anyone who can’t fight a god.”

Raf put his hands on his hips. “Is your brother back from the dead again?”

"Well . . . yes, but apparently he's been ruling Asgard peacefully for a decade." He waved a hand. "It's complicated. The threat is my sister. Who, based on my father's demeanor, is far worse than Loki ever was.”

“Your sister?” 

Thor sighed, deciding perhaps it was better to tell the entire story, as his father had told it to him. “And so now I have to take him back home to die, so we can face Hela on Asgard where we stand half a chance. He told me I would need all the help I could get, so here I am.” He clapped Raf on the shoulder, “Hrafnsvartr, son of Inge, will you help me defend our people?" 

“Well,” Raf said. “Let me get my mace.” He paused. “And my wife.”

"I had hoped she would come along," Thor admitted.

Kamala came out of the bedroom. “And then we call Kate and figure out how many of the others can fight a god.”

*

Singularity liked this Wanda, as she had liked almost all of the other Wanda's she had known. She also liked the little Ithaca compound the team lived on. She go to play in the snow, walk along the half frozen lake with Vision, and try all new foods. It was like a vacation, she supposed.

They’d planned to stay through dinner, but Vision came to find her out in the snow to tell her something was going on back in New York and they had to get back.

"What's wrong?" she asked, floating over to him. She appreciated that no one here required her to walk like a person.

He shook his head. “Ada didn’t give me details. Just that there was mission and we were needed.”

"Should we say goodbye to the Taschengreggers?”

“Of course, of course. It’ll only take a second to get back anyway.”

They made their rounds to say goodbye, hugging and promising the kids they'd be back soon. Then Singularity transported them back to the Tower. The appeared in the common room, which was full of people. Every single one of them turned and looked when Vision and Singularity.

Before either could say anything, Thor pointed at them and said, “There! That’s how we get up there!”

"I love popping in the middle of a conversation," Singularity said brightly.

Thor came over to explain. “Very briefly. My father is dying, and when he dies the Goddess of Death, Hela, who is apparently my older sister, will be released from her prison and will attempt to conquer Asgard.”

That was a story Singularity had heard before. “She can do it. Quite a few universes I’ve been in Asgard was completely destroyed because of that.” She was also a feature in some of the Bad Universes, where she’d won the fight for Asgard and gone on to wage war everywhere. She didn’t know if she should tell Thor about that part, though.

He looked concerned enough about what she did tell him. "I want to bring a team and I know that both of you are strong enough to hold your own against an Asgardian. And as the Bifrost is currently closed, I realized Singularity could teleport us where we need to go."

"I'm happy to," she told him. "I've never actually fought her before.”

On the other side of the room, there seemed to be an argument going on between Prince Azari and Ada and Eshe. Vision patted her arm to let her know he was going to go check it out. Ada was suited up, and Singularity imagined Vision didn’t want Ada to go. She was just as certain there would be no talking Ada out of it. 

Jane appeared at Thor’s side, looking 20 years younger than the last time Singularity had seen her. She clapped her hands. “You got the apple!”

She stared a moment. "You knew?"

"It happens periodically, depending on various other factors. Oh, I'm so happy. When you get the apple you discover so many interesting things.”

Jane grinned back. “That sounds awesome.”

"It _is_.”

“We need to get going,” Thor said. He turned towards the direction of the argument, which Vision had now joined. “You guys sort it out yet?”

The Prince held up a finger. "Almost."

Nate was now a part of the group and as she watched, he pulled Prince Azari to the side. They spoke quietly a moment, then Azi sighed, nodded and leaned returned to kiss Ada. There was a moment of quiet conversation, then Vision parted to join Singularity and Thor. "Ada will be coming alone.”

“I’m going to go get my father,” Thor said. “We’ll meet in the hangar in ten minutes. Get anything you need from the armory.”

There was a series of nods and people started filing out. Singularity looked up at Vision. "Do you need anything?”

“No, but for battle, I do put on my cape.” His clothing transformed before her eyes.

"That's a lovely cape," she told him solemnly.

“Thank you,” he said, as they headed out. “Tell me more about about Hela.”

She considered. "She's evil, and very powerful. Her goal seems to be conquest, even if she has to kill everyone in her way. The universes I've been to where she has won are very bleak.”

“But she is defeatable? It’s happened?”

"Usually Thor has to destroy Asgard.”

Vision sighed. “That is. . . concerning.”

"But I've never seen him have this much support before.”

She could see him thinking as he walked. “How many people can you transport?”

"I can transport a planet," she told him.

“We should talk to Thor about evacuating the non-combatants. Though I don’t know to where.”

"They usually go to Norway, or to the realm where Loki's mate is from.”

He nodded. “I will mention that to Thor.”

"I will note that you and I have never fought her, either.”

Vision help his hand out for hers. “I admit I’m looking forward to that. Just a bit.”

"I haven't had a good fight in a long time," she agreed. "It might be fun.”

“I think together we are very powerful.”

"Together, we might be unstoppable.’

“Ada would probably say that was romantic, somehow.”

Singularity smiled, weaving their fingers together. "You don't like romance?”

He looked down at her. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever needed to consider that question.”

"Are you concerned there's a wrong answer?”

“Most preferences are neither right or wrong, they are just there.”

That was a very Vision way to answer. "If you need time to consider, I understand.”

He watched her. “Do you like romance?”

She considered. "I think so. Though I suppose my idea of romance is different than a human's. At least the kind they like to write poems about. I don't require tokens of affection or grand gestures of love. I like the idea of being in love and having someone to love, in a way that is more intimate than the love I might have for a friend." She paused. "A friend tried to explain the difference between romantic love and the love of a friend, but had trouble without involving sex, which doesn't interest me. But she was able to explain intimacy sufficiently, which I think is at the core of the difference. Perhaps I like intimacy and find romance a more socially appropriate word for it.”

“Intimacy. I like that.” They’d reached the hangar, which was full of even more people—team members going to fight, loved ones to see them off. He squeezed her hand. “Are you ready?”

"I am. Are you?”

“I am,” he said, meeting her eyes. She sensed he wasn’t just talking about the trip, or the battle.

"Good." She gave him a gentle tug to pull him further into the room.

At her request, Thor gathered everyone in a group, and she took them to Asgard. Her aim was not really that precise, usually, so she was pleased they ended up right in the throne room.

Which contained a second Odin. She’d seen this routine before. One of them was Loki. She assumed the one on the throne—though it would be nice if the one they’d brought from earth was the fake, and this whole thing was a prank.

The one on the throne shot to his feet when they all appeared. "What is the meaning of this?”

“I told your brother the truth,” the one from Earth said. “You can stand down.”

The Odin on the throne sputtered. "You dare take the word of this imposter over me?"

"Loki," Thor said, sounding tired. "This is important."

"Your brother Loki is dead! I am Odin, son of Bor. All Father to the nine realms-"

He was working up a good steam, Singularity wished she'd brought some snacks for the show. Then a pale woman in a slate blue dress detached herself from the shadows beside the throne. She glided over to the Odin who was pontificating and poked him, hard, in the side.

With a crackle and a faint smell of ozone, the image of Odin dissolved in a shower of green and gold, leaving Loki in his place. He turned and glared at the woman.

"You were embarrassing yourself," she told him.

Loki turned back to the group, and plastered a smile on his face. “Hello, and welcome to Asgard.”

Thor and Odin sighed in unison. "Hela is coming," Odin said.

He scoffed. "You said she'd only come when you died." Odin gave him a significant look and he deflated a bit. “Oh." Loki turned more, and his eyes fell on Singularity. “What is that?”

"Hi. I'm Singularity. I'm a sentient black hole that can quantum teleport. No, you cannot dissect me. Yes, there are universes where you rule Asgard. Yes, some of them are pleasant. No, I won't take you to any of them. Yes, your magic is very impressive but you can't hurt me. No, not even with the Casket of Winters.”

His mouth opened and closed, and then he frowned and put his hands on his hips. Thor was trying valiantly not to laugh. “She’s visited a couple thousand alternate universes,” he offered by way of explanation.

“I feel like I should apologize for the version of me that apparently asked to dissect you,” Loki said.

"It's okay." She gestured at the woman next to him. "That version of her smacked him on the head when he said it.”

“I have so many questions,” Ada piped up.

“I’ll explain later,” Thor said.

Loki pointed at Jane, “Why are you so young looking?”

“I’ll explain later,” Thor repeated.

“I gave her the last of Iounn's apples,” Odin said, leaning against his elder son.

“You told me it had been destroyed,” Loki replied, looking indignant.

“You were going to waste it,” Odin snapped back.

Loki threw up his hands. “I was going to give it to her!”

"You were?" Jane asked.

"Of course. I don't know any other mortals."

"That's kind of sweet."

The woman next to Loki raised her hand. "Wasn't there something about the All Father's sins coming home to roost?"

"Hi Syn!" Ada said.  
"Hi Ada. Your armor is lovely.”

“Thank you. It still has your enchantments.”

“Could I please go somewhere to lie down?” Odin asked quietly.

Thor shifted to support him more fully and Loki frowned in concern. He glanced over at Syn, who made her way down from the dais and went to Odin's other side, touching his chest. Her hand glowed a moment and she frowned. "He should be in the healing halls."

Odin waved a hand. "Far too late for that."

"Take him to the king's chamber," Loki said. "It's the closest.”

They went, and Raf held out a hand to indicate the others shouldn’t follow. “Give them some space, we’ll wait here.”

"I suppose we are safe until Odin passes," Kam agreed.

“We should get defenses underway,” Nate said. He did a little turn, looking at the very still an stoic guards lining the throne room. “Is there anyone here with any kind of authority?”

None of them answered Nate, but Vision turned, chose one of them to address and said, “Please locate and summon however many of Thor’s Warriors that are currently on Asgard.”

“Heimdal is probably already on his way, too,” Ada said. “He’ll have seen this.”

"He'll help," Singularity agreed. "He's always cool in a crisis.”

As expected, he arrived first. He didn’t require briefing, but he was interested in Singularity. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three arrived not long after, and they did require briefing—the very long version, which involved Heimdal telling them about Hela’s origins.

“Once she was locked away, Odin blurred the memories of the survivors and had all mention and depictions of her removed.” He pointed at the ceiling. “There is one under the plaster up there. The front layer was damaged during the Dark Elf attack and fell down. Loki discovered it and Odin traded him the throne for his silence. I was sworn to secrecy.”

Lady Sif turned and pointed at Volstagg. “What did I say? Did I not tell you something was off?”

He sighed deeply. "We're never going to hear the end of this."

"On the bright side," Fandral said. "His Majesty has _not_ been stepping out with someone young enough to be his daughter.”

“I will give you that.”

"Though I am now left to wonder what in the realms a woman like Queen Syn is doing with Loki."

"It does explain the statue," mused Volstagg.

"And the play," added Hogun, to the others groans.

“All right,” Sif said. “We can deal with Loki later. Right now the Goddess of Death is coming. We need to…”

She trailed off as the sky suddenly darkened. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, so loud it seemed to shake the palace. Heimdal closed his eyes and bent his head. The Warriors did the same. Even Ada and the others from the Tower looked sad, presumably because they were friends with Thor and felt bad for him. Singularity felt oddly removed from it all, but she understood the grief of loss and found herself reaching out to hold Vision's hand. He took it, then gave it a little tug before letting go to wrap his arm around her shoulders.

That was unexpected, but very nice. She leaned into his side, comforted by his presence.

This was not the first Asgardian death she'd witnessed. It was not even the first Odin she'd seen die. She knew they tended to be private with their grief, but also that they appreciated support during mourning. So she quietly said, "Lo there, do I see my father."

Sif, Heimdal and the Warriors looked at her in surprise, but chimed in on the next line. 

By the end of the prayer, she hear Thor and Jane and Loki and Syn joining in, having come back into the throne room. Thor looked a bit like Jane was the only thing holding him up and Loki was holding Syn's hand so tightly her fingers had lost all their color. But both men looked determined and ready for a fight.

"Right," Ada said. "Where is this bitch?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers in the US! Lots of stuff to read going up this week because Nyx and I know very well just how much enforced family time can suck. (Even if you like your family)

Asgard’s army was summoned, to man the walls of the palace where it was decided they’d make their stand. Heimdal could see Hela was coming, and she was bringing an army of the undead with her. After a brief discussion, it was also decided that they wanted to temporarily evacuate as many civilians as possible.

Apparently one of the last things Odin had said to his sons was that Asgard wasn’t a place, it was a people.

That Thor was in favor of it made Vision wonder what he thought of their chances, but it wasn’t the worst idea given that Singularity could do it without opening the bifrost and potentially hastening Hela’s arrival. She and Queen Syn went to begin moving people in large groups to Alfhiem. It sounded like they were just going to hang out in a large field and hope the battle was over quickly.

Vision hugged her before she went. “Be safe.”

She squeezed him tight, pressing her cheek against his. "You, too. I'll join you once we've moved everyone over.”

He nodded, and off they went. When he turned back to the group, Ada had taken her helmet off just to grin at him. “What?” he asked finally.

"No-thing," she sing-songed, still grinning.

“Miss Ada,” he said sternly.

She twisted her face into a pantomime of gruff seriousness. "We will discuss it later.”

“Your Violet impression gets better every year, you know that?”

"So my siblings tell me.”

He looked at her a long moment. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Her jaw firmed up. "I do. I am. It's a worthy fight.”

“It is,” he said, and then he hugged her too, even though it was awkward around the armor.

She was clearly surprised, but returned the hug, rubbing his back a little with one hand. "Thanks, Vis.”

From the front of the group, Heimdal called out, “She is here.”

Ada stepped back and put her helmet back in place. In unison they both lifted off to get a view of the incoming army.

They were marching across the bifrost, streams of soldiers that looked not quite alive, and not quite dead. They had an odd glow to them. He reached out to skim their minds, and found them surprisingly empty. They seemed to lack higher reasoning. Logic, emotion, personality. They were physically reanimated corpses, controlled by instinct and the commands Hela had given them. He chose one, and instructed it to turn left and leap off the bridge into the water. It did so, and none of the other seemed to notice.

“One of them just jumped,” Nate commented over the comms.

“I did that,” Vision said.

“I. . . did not know you could.” He sounded concerned. Vision didn’t blame him. That kind of thing alarmed humans.

But, in this case, he had cover. “They don’t really have working brains. They are mostly still dead, just upright and following basic commands.”

“It’s a literal army of the undead,” Ada said. “They’re zombies.” She sounded awed. “Kam! Come out here! There are real live actual zombies!”

“Cassie is going to be so freaking jealous,” Peter said.

Kamala had apparently listened, because you could see her mowing through the line—at least you could see the swath she cut as the zombies on the edges were bumped into the water by the jostling. Vision aimed a beam from the stone at them and a bunch went flying. Ada cackled and launched a shoulder rocket.

“I’m going to go keep Hela distracted,” Thor said. “The rest of you deal with the army.” A moment later he flew past them to where Hela was at the end of the bifrost.

The other team members seemed to actually be enjoying themselves, still cackling about zombies. Ada shouted something about removing the head and destroying the brain and Raf waded into the action with his mace, knocking soldier's head's off. The Asgardian army seemed a little perturbed at the exuberance of the new comers, but one couldn't argue with their effectiveness.

Thor's brother had joined him in dealing with Hela, the two of them taking turns attacking her. Their fighting styles were quite different, but they worked well together, a product of a lifetime training beside each other, Vision supposed.

He kept an eye on them, because he’d be the one to go if they needed help. So he happened to be watching when Hela got ahold of Moljnir—and shattered it like it was made of glass.

That was about when things went sideways. Thor was so startled he was nearly impaled by the sword she threw at him. Loki produced the Casket of Winters from the pocket dimension where he kept things and encased her in ice. It didn’t last long, and send both men flying when it exploded—but it was long enough for Vision to get there.

He aimed a beam at her, and she stopped it with her hands. Something that astonished him, but since it took two hands it meant she couldn’t throw any swords while she was fighting him off.

None of which helped when a wolf the size of a dinosaur appeared behind her and then leapt over their heads to charge up the bridge.

Ada and Nate cursed in unison and immediately started spitballing strategies, none of which sounded feasible.

Singularity appeared at his side. "How's it going?”

“Not great,” he replied. It might have been the moments distraction, but Hela got one of her hands free and sent a flurry of swords at him, and he had to stop the beam to dematerialize so they’d fly through him. One hit Singularity and it bounced off her. Thor had gotten up and tackled Hela, the hand-to-hand fighting preventing Vision from shooting the beam.

“I’m running out of ammo!” Ada called. “This stupid dog won’t die!”

“Coming,” Vision told her, hoping his beam worked. Or maybe he could go wrestle the damn thing.

Singularity glanced over then squeaked, "Puppy!" and zoomed towards the dog in a black streak, the force of which sent the dog tumbling back down the bridge.

Despite the battle still raging, Vision swore there was a moment of pure silence.

"Well, that's one way to deal with it," Nate said blandly.

She seemed to have it, which was his primary concern. If Hela could break Moljnir, then she was probably stronger than the vibranium suits—contrary to what Thor had thought when he let Ada and Nate come along. He need to keep her from throwing those swords. Or at least throwing them at anyone but him.

When he got back to the other end of the bifrost, Thor and Loki still seemed to be holding their own. Thor looked to have lost or severely damaged an eye. Loki had made a dozen duplicates of himself, apparently having the same idea Vision had about distraction. Vision could see easily which were fake, but she didn’t seem to be as she flung swords at them wildly.

He leveled his beam at her, knocking her off balance, which gave Thor an opportunity to attack again. When she shook him off Loki taunted her with his duplicates again, giving Vision a clear shot. And so they went around and around, taking turns distracting and attacking her. Queen Syn joined as well, decked out in battle armor and using gold tinted magic to deflect the swords and blind Hela.

It was an effective strategy, but didn't actually seem to be doing her any harm. Thor and Loki were both bloody and starting to tire and she was as fresh she she had been at the beginning of the fight. Even Vision didn't know how to defeat a foe you couldn't actually harm.

He supposed it was the distraction of that thought that made him a little slow phasing before one of her swords hit him.

He didn’t really feel pain, but he felt the impact as it went through him, and he wasn’t immune to the laws of motion so he went flying, landing on his back on the bridge hard enough to crack it. Or him. It was hard to tell, all he registered in the moment was the sound.

Hela had managed to get the better of Thor, getting him all the way to the ground and wrapping her hands around his neck. Suddenly the sky darkened and a blast of lighting shot down from the sky, so bright it was blinding. Vision was close enough to feel the heat. The bridge cracked, broke, and the bifrost itself behind the blast went tumbling into oblivion.

Singularity reappeared at his side. "I convinced the puppy he was a good boy and he shouldn't-" She broke off and frowned, looking down at him. "You're hurt.”

He wasn’t so much hurt has impaled to the bridge beneath him. He didn’t hurt. But he might be damaged. He’d never been damaged before. Before he could respond, Thor landed next to him on a streak of a lighting. He crouched down, too. “Are you all right?”

“I don’t know,” he said in response to both of them. “I can’t move.”

And there, at the end of the shattered bridge, stood Hela. Unharmed.

Loki materialized next to their little group, with Syn, looking exhausted and panting. "Hit her with lightning," he suggested to Thor.

Thor gestured. "I just hit her with the biggest blast of lightning in the history of lightning. It did _nothing_."

"I'll deal with her," Singularity said, voice dark and cold. Before any of them could answer she disappeared and reappeared at the end of the bridge with Hela, who showed a flicker of surprise. "You're not very nice," Singularity told her. "I know just where to send you."

As they watched, she grew darker and larger, losing the shape of a woman and becoming a black void where no light seemed to penetrate. Hela took a step back, sending swords towards the darkness, where they were enveloped and swallowed. Then the darkness roiled and shifted forward, enveloping her. There was a shriek that was abruptly cut off, and the darkness folded in on itself.

Despite the zombie fighting still audible behind them, the four of them stared in stunned silence. Thor whispered, “Wow.”

Vision dematerialized enough to free himself from the sword pinning him, and stood. The shape turned back into Singularity.

She shook herself a little before turning back to them and walking over. "She won't be a problem anymore.”

“Where did you send her?” Vision asked.

"A universe where a plague has turned most of the population into zombies. I don't think she can make it much worse and maybe she'll have fun watching them tear each other apart.”

“That was probably better than she deserved,” he said, reaching his hands out for hers simply because he wanted to touch her. “But that was amazing.”

Ada's voice piped up in his ear. "Amazing, terrifying. Tomato, to-mah-to."

Oblivious, Singularity tucked her hand into his. "Are you all right? You were all impaled.”

“I am completely well,” he replied.

She patted his chest where the sword had gone and seemed content he was whole. "We should go fight zombies, I suppose.”

Vision turned to see Thor and Loki mowing through them with lighting and ice. “You know, I think they’ve got it under control. What did you do with the dog?”

"Oh." She made a gesture and the dog appeared at her side, now about the size of a wolfhound and slightly less decayed. "Can I keep him?”

“Is he going to be evil?”

She rubbed a hand over its head and it closed its eyes. "No. He's a good boy.”

“There are other pets at the tower. I don’t see why you couldn’t have a dog.”

"Yay!" She patted the dog again and it started to pant. Some of its tongue was missing. "His name is Fenris.”

Vision leaned over to look at him. “Hello, Fenris.”

He wagged his tail at the sound of his name and Singularity smiled, then looked up at Vision. "I'm glad you're all right.”

“You, too. And thank you. We should have had you come up here sooner.”

"I don't know that anyone expected her to be so strong." She hesitated and fidgeted her fingers. "Are the others scared of me now?”

He took her hand. “No. They are probably in awe.” The bridge had been cleared of zombies, and Nate and Ada landed among the piles of bodies and Adgardian fighters catching their breath.

"Sometimes. . . sometimes people get scared when they see what I can do.”

Vision sighed. “Most people would be scared if they knew all that I can do.”

She squeezed his hand. "Well. We can keep each other's secrets.”

Holding hands, they walked towards the rest of them. Everyone looked beat up, but alive. Thor turned and waved at them. “Casualty reports are relatively light.”

"I'm glad to hear it," Vision replied.

"Should I go get the people from Alfheim?" Singularity asked.

“Yes, please,” Thor said. He looked over at Syn. “Go with her?”

She nodded and stepped towards them without a flicker of fear. "Start gathering the wounded, I'll rally with the healers when we return.”

“Come find me when you’re done,” Vision said to Singularity.

She nodded. "Of course." Then she stepped closer to Syn and they both disappeared.

“I see you’ve managed to destroy the bifrost again,” Loki said to his brother. “Well done.”

Thor sighed but looked at him rather fondly. "Your pinkie is blue.”

“You’re missing an eye,” Loki responded.

"It's nice to see them getting along," Heimdal rumbled.

Ada glanced up from inspecting Nate’s suit for damage. "They do sounds a lot like me and my brother.”

Loki reached out and clapped Thor’s arm. “Come on. Let’s have the healers look at you, and then we have funerals to plan. Starting with Father.”

The next hour or so was spent righting the chaos the battle had caused. Singularity returned with the Asgardian civilians, then went back to Alfheim to bring their healers over to help with the wounded. Those who weren’t injured got to work clearing the rubble from the bridge and dealing with the enemy bodies. They were mostly piles of bone and armor, but they still needed to be gathered up and dealt with.

Apparently, there was a catacombs under the palace, but all the entrances were sealed. So Singularity started taking loads of bones down. But not after giving her new pet one to play with.

She left Vision to keep an eye on Fenris while he did some heavy lifting. Ada put her suit back on and came to help him.

“They say getting a pet together is an important milestone in a relationship.”

He looked over at her. “What?”

"You heard me. You have robot ears.”

“I don’t know that I would categorize the accidental acquisition of an undead wolf as ‘getting a pet together’.”

"Kate and Wyatt got Lucky by saving him from some asshole beating him in an alley. Pets are acquired in all manner of ways.”

He tossed a large hunk of stone into the pile. “Is this why you have been giving me significant looks?”

"Partly. You guys seem to have. . . upgraded the parameters of your relationship. As your best friend, I'm curious.”

“I don’t know what it is,” he said honestly. “I’ve never done this before.”

"I have," she replied. "A few times. I'd like to help. If you want. Relationships are hard to navigate when you're _not_ two unique beings with super powers.”

He smiled. “We have come all the way around now, haven’t we? Me asking you questions.”

She returned the smile. "Well, I do kind of owe you.”

“These things are a little more complicated than who invented the chocolate chip cookie.”

"But probably about as awkward as when I asked about your penis.”

He laughed. “Oh, no, that was much worse. We were at the dinner table.”

"I really wish I had a picture of Mom and Dad's faces.”

Vision shook his head. After a moment he said, “So the dog is ours?”

"I think so. She asked your permission to keep it. Indicates you'd be part of taking care of him.”

“We do spend most of our free time together.”

"She may want to bring the dog on your adventures.”

He nodded. “She said she plans on staying here. In this universe.”

Ada grinned. "That's good. We all like her.”

“I would be unfathomably sad if she left.”

With a little, sad, squeaking noise, she reached out and squeezed his hand. "Then I'm doubly glad she's staying.”


	6. Chapter 6

The healers looked Thor’s ruined eye and told him there wasn’t much to be done for it, as they eyeball was gone. Even Syn, who was a magic healer, agreed. But she did at least fix it so it stopped hurting.

“My mother told me the royal family of Alfheim had a curse that meant they could not lie,” he said to her while she attached the eyepatch. 

"That's true," she replied. "Due to a great-great grandfather who betrayed the wrong Vanir.”

“How in hell did you pull this off? I’ve known you for ten years.” 

"I never called him by name. I never referred to his relation to you. Never called myself your step mother or the like. Never touched him to break the illusion." She stepped back to study her handiwork. "I called him your highness or the king, which he was at the time. And fudged the rest of it. Centuries of telling the truth teaches you a few loop holes.”

The door opened and Jane came into the room. “How is it looking?”

“Odinesque,” Thor replied, and she came over to look at it.

“I like the patch,” she said after a moment of study.

"It suits you," Loki said from the doorway, bracing a shoulder on the jamb.

"It does," Syn agreed.

“The palace staff keeps calling me Your Majesty,” Jane said. “There’s bowing.”

“You are the Queen of Asgard,” Loki said. 

Her eyebrows went up. “I’m sorry?”

He gestured to Thor. "Odin is dead, Hela is banished. Thor is the next in line. He's the king, and you are his wife."

"Congratulations," Syn said, patting her on the arm.

Thor looked at his brother warily. “You’re not going to try and keep the throne?”

"If you wish to abdicate officially I'm more than happy to take it from you. But I was not planning to stage a coup." He gestured to Syn. "She has graciously offered me a space in her court. If I behave myself."

She shrugged at Thor. "I've grown accustomed to him.”

He studied his brother a long moment, the brother this morning he’d thought was dead. “You would rather be with her full time than be King. Wouldn’t you?”

Loki didn't answer immediately, not until Syn looked over at him and smiled slightly. Then he sighed and reached for her hand. "I would live in a cave on Svartlheim to be with her.”

There was no nefarious intent in that. Somewhere in the last ten years, his brother had grown up. “So we’ll need a funeral, a coronation, and then perhaps a wedding.”

His brother sighed. "Asgardian weddings are such productions."

Thor had the feeling that was the end of a conversation he hadn't heard the first part of. Because Syn shrieked a little and threw herself at Loki, who caught her and held her tightly, lifting her off the ground.

He thought it best to leave them some privacy, so he hopped off the table and gestured to Jane to follow him. Out in the hallway, she said, “Singularity took the rest of them back to earth. She said she’ll come back after and hang out up here since we have no other method of inter-realm transport. Until you can figure out what to do about the bifrost.”

He'd almost forgotten about that in all this mess. "I can be rebuilt. It has in the past. Though it will take time. I hate to make her linger her to be used as a taxi.”

“She says she doesn’t mind. Vision will come with her, they seem to be having a. . .thing.”

Thor frowned, looking down at her. "I didn't know Vision did. . . things.”

She shrugged. “Apparently.”

"Well. Good for them." He scrubbed a hand over his face, careful not to dislodge the eyepatch. "I need to gather Heimdal and my friends and start sorting out next steps.”

“What you need first is a meal and a bath and a good night’s sleep.”

He tried to protest, but Jane dug her heels in and tugged his arm. With her brand new Asgardian strength, she was actually able to move him, leading him down the hall to their room. "I suppose everything is under control for the night.”

“It is.” There was food waiting inside for him, and as soon as he saw it he was starving. He growled, beelining for the table and taking a seat before digging in.

"Thank you," he managed to get out after a few bites.

“I have gotten pretty well versed at looking after you.” She kissed the top of his head. “I’m going to go have a shower while you eat, and then you can go. Or have a bath or whatever.” Asgardians tended to prefer baths—full standing showers were rare, but Jane had one installed in their rooms in the palace once they started spending time up here. 

"Have you eaten?" he asked.

“Yes. I’ve had a ton of food. I actually cannot believe how much food I seem to need now. Are you always hungry?”

"More or less," he said around a mouthful. "There's a reason we have entire dead animals on   
the table at meals.”

“Eat up,” she told him, and went into the bathroom. A moment later he could hear the water come on.

He dug into his meal, thinking over the day. In the space of less than twenty four hours he had lost his father, gained his brother, Jane had gone from a late middle aged human to a young Asgardian, he had lost an eye, almost lost Asgard, and become king.  
Maybe it was better if he didn't think about the day too much. There was still time for him to go mad or some other calamity to befall them.

“Thor?” Jane called from the bathroom. He wasn’t sure but there might have been alarm in her voice. “Come in here, you have to see this.”

Concerned as to what in the shower might have frightened her, he stood up and went into the bathroom. "What is it?”

She was standing in front of the mirror, completely naked. “There is not a wrinkle or spot of cellulite on me.” She turned and looked at him. “Seriously, look at my boobs. I don’t think they were this perky when I was 19.” 

He felt himself starting to grin. "Well, I didn't know you at 19, but I'm happy to do a thorough examination and report my findings.”

She grinned back. “I think you should absolutely do that.”

"There's just one problem.”

“And what’s that?”

"We're probably going to break this bathroom."

*

Singularity spent long enough on earth to help with the group recounting of the battle and introduce Fenris around. The general reaction to him seemed to be bemusement. It helped that Lucky seemed to like him right away. She and Kate watched them circle and sniff each other on the little patio of grass they had set up as a dog run.

After Kate took Lucky back to her place Singularity went looking for Vision to take them back to Asgard.

He was in his apartment, gazing out at the city skyline. He turned and smiled at her when she came in. “Hello.”

"Hi. I was going to go back up to Asgard, if you're ready.”

“I suppose you do need to be the taxi for a bit, don’t you?”

"Jane asked very nicely." She hesitated. "She suggested you could come with me, but if you don't want to. . . I'm not sure how long I'll be up there.”

“Of course I want to come with you,” he said immediately. He held his hand out.

She slid her hand into his and brought them up to Asgard, landing in the front hall of the palace. After a bit of confusion, they were met by Syn. "Welcome back. Thor and Jane are. . .indisposed, but I can show you to where you'll be staying." She paused. "We weren't sure if you required one room or two so I had adjoining ones made up.”

“We do not require sleep,” Vision told her. “But thank you.”

She nodded and led them down a hallway to what Singularity expected was the guest wing. Syn opened one door, then gestured to the one next to it. "There are for you. Jane said you don't need to eat, but you're welcome to join us for breakfast in the morning. You have the run of the palace, please ask any of the servants or guards if you need help.”

Vision thanked her again, and then she left them alone. “I suppose we’ll have to pause our wanderings for a bit.”

"I have been wanting to explore Asgard," Singularity said, looking for the bright side.

He grinned. “The library here is amazing.”

She clapped her hands. "I love books.”

“I have been cataloging it. I was actually going to ask you to teleport it somewhere if it looked like Hela might get off the bridge.”

"Jane has spoken highly of it. I'm very curious to look through it." She hovered into the room Syn had opened. It had a lovely view of the shattered Bifrost bridge and the star sea surrounding it. "I see why everyone compares me to that.”

“It is very much a compliment.”

She nodded. "It's beautiful." She never gave much thought to her appearance. It was how she looked and trying to look different would use more energy and focus than she was willing to spend on it. But it was nice to know that others found her aesthetically appealing.

He smiled. “As are you.”

She turned from the window to look at him. Something in their relationship had . . . shifted in the last day. She wasn't entirely sure what it was now. Fortunately, she thought he was as confused as she was.

Floating forward, she hesitantly tucked her arms around his waist and hugged him. “Hi,” he said, stroking her hair.

"I am not certain what we are now," she said. "Something has changed. I think for the better. But it's new.”

“People keep telling me we are in a relationship.”

"Like a romantic one?" she asked, half teasing.

He chuckled. “So it would seem.”

"Are you all right with that?”

“I’m not one to care what things are labeled. I enjoy being with you. I think I am. . . the most myself when I am with you.” 

She smiled. "That's how I feel, too.”

For a long moment he just held her. She’d had no idea how nice that was. She was strange and people were usually afraid to touch her. He never was.

"Would you like to show me the library?" she asked eventually.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

They spent the rest of the night exploring the Asgardian library. Singularity enjoyed finding hidden nooks and crannies, digging out books Vision hadn't seen before. There was a surprisingly large fairy tale and myth section, and she chose a couple of thick volumes to take back to their room.

The room had a pair of enormous couches that faced each other. Asgard didn’t do anything small. They each took one and stretched out to read. She noticed Vision changed his clothes to match the culture of wherever they happened to be. And he very much embraced the ostentation of Asgardian royalty, concocting elaborate robes with many layers of fabric. She wondered sometimes if she ought to wear clothes.

Try as she might, she couldn't conjure it like he did. Though she did manage to make her legs _look_ like she was wearing a dress the same color as the rest of her. There was a wardrobe on one wall that had a collection of dresses in it and she rummaged before finding one in a bright gold. It was a little long for her, but if she hovered it didn't drag. "Do I look silly?”

He grinned. “Not at all. I love it.”

She twirled and the fabric spun prettily. Resettling on the couch, she enjoyed spreading it out around her. "It's fun to dress up.”

“It is,” he agreed. “I don’t do it nearly enough on Earth.”

"The girls at the Tower said sometimes there's parties and such. It might be fun to attend.”

“They do have a number of galas. I am expected to wear a tuxedo, as uncomfortable and unimaginative a clothing item as ever invented.”

"Just because you're expected to wear it doesn't mean you have to.”

He fidgeted with the edge of his book. “I can tell when I am making people uncomfortable and try not to, more than I have to.”

"But aren't there a lot of male formal wear? Wakandans don't wear suits. Nor do Asgardians. Perhaps you could borrow one of those?”

“I try to blend with the culture I am in.”

She considered that a moment. "Why? You're purple. They already know you're different. You should make yourself comfortable and let others adapt. As long as you're not hurting them.”

“I used to change my skin to blend, too. Though I haven’t since I met you.”

Lifting a hand, she focused and made her stars swirl a bit. "I used to be self conscious about how I looked. Because there was nothing I could do to blend. Then a friend of mine, America, told me I was made how I was made and it wasn't up to me to change myself to fit in with everyone else.”

“That is probably a very healthy way of looking at it.”

"It took a lot of universes to learn.”

“Though you are really, honestly, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You don’t need to hide it.”

Singularity was not capable of blushing, but she swore his words warmed her from the inside out. "Thank you," she said softly.

“Perhaps being ourselves is something we should do together, too.”

She smiled. "I think that would be the most fun.”

He watched her a moment, and then said, “This is a very large sofa. Would you like to come over and share it with me?”

Without a word, she floated over and tucked into his side. He put his arm around her and she could feel him relax and settle. She rested her head on his chest, holding the slim volume of fairy tales in one hand to read. He braced his book against her side and together they happily sat and read, wrapped around each other.


End file.
